Flushing device



Oct. 2, 1934. G. SCHWIBINGER FLUSHING DEVICE I Filed June 27. 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 2, 1934. G, SCHWIBINGER FLUSHING DEVICE ZSheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 27, 1952 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 2, 1934 UNITED STATES- FLUSHING DEVICE George Schwibinger, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to Bundle-Spence Mfg. 00., ltiilwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application June 27, 1932, Serial No. 619,513

4 Claims. (Cl. 4-250) This invention relates to improvements in flushing devices and: more particularly to seat operated devices for use in connection with water closets.

School buildings represent one ofthe most important fields for the sale: of seat operated wa ter closets because of theiact that this particular type of device insures flushing notwithstanding carelessnessof' the youthful userr The usual water closet of this character is, however, objectionable because of the fact that the valve operating levers are so mounted as tobe ex.- posed'to childish meddling. and as a'iresult-frequent repairs are necessary- It is one of the objects oi. the presentinven tion to provide. an improved flushing device of the. seat operated. type which is particularly adapted for school building use: wherein the-opcrating levers are so:constructed and positioned as to conceal themajority of. thezmovable parts.

A. more specific: ohiectv of. the invention is to provide a flushing" device of: the class described wherein. the majority of the; movable parts: are arranged to be separated by-mpartitionor wall from the waterv closet itself, and, wherein the front .end of the lever connection with the seat is adapted to extend. movably through said partition,. said front endbeing connected to one side of. the seat.in= such amanner that meddling with this part can cause-no" damage tothe-movable parts on the. other side of the partition. A further object of the'inventionis to provide a flushing deviceembodying improved tripping mechanism Ior opening: the valve which controls the flow ofwater to the closet.

A more specific: object ofthe invention is to provide. av flushing device: embodying: tripping mechanism whichzis particularlyadapted-for use in connection withsa plunger operated flush valve.

A. further obj ect? oi theinventionisv to provide a flushing device wherein the" tripping mechanism is formediwithzmeans adjustable to control the: length; of time; during. which the tripping 'memberand the member. beingtripped are in engagement with one-another. I I

A further object. of; the :invention'is to provide ailushing' device which is simple in construction, foolproof, and welLadaptedforthe purpose described. I

With the above'andotherobjectslin view, the invention consistsiof thesimproved flushing device and allits partsand. combinations as set forth in the claims, and. all equivalents thereof.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating one complete embodiment oi the preferred form. of

the invention in which the same reference numerals designate the same parts in all of the views? Figtl is aperspective view showing a water closet embodying the improved device, parts being broken away;

Fig.-'2"is a side elevational view'thereof;

Fig. 3' is a front view showing the tripping mechanism and flush valve, parts being broken away and shown in section; and

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the parts in a second position.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 8 designates a water closet having aseat 9 hingedly mounted, as at 10-. A lever arm 11- has its front end curved: downwardly, as at '12, and in pivotal connection, as at 13; with the hinge pintle 14. A projection 15 in connection with the part 13 curves inwardly for engagement with a portion ofthe'seat in such-a manner that the "seat 9 may be lifted tove'rticalposition without affecting the lever arm- 11-, but in. which downward pressure on the seat will cause engagement with the curved projec tion I5 and raising of the rear end of the lever 11. The said lever extends through a slot 16 formed in a wall or partition 17, and the rear end of the lever carries" a weight l8 which nor mally tends'to hold theseatin the full line position of Fig. 2.

The lever 11' extends loosely throughthe slotted opening 19 in a link 20, and said link has its upper end formed for threaded connection with a bolt 21'. 'Saidbolt has-a-bifurcated upper end portion 22 which embraces the lowerend of an actuating member 23, and which is pivotally connected thereto by means of abo1t24-. The lower portion of the actuating member 23 is squared and'is'slidable in a-square aperture 25-formed in D an angular projection 26 of a bracket. 27.. Thesaid bracket has its upper end portion formed with ahorizontally. disposed tubular part -28 which is-adapted for threaded connection by means of a nut 29 with a similar tubular part 30 projectingfrom the housing 31 for, the flush valve. I

The upper portion of the bracket 27 also carries a laterally projecting lugv 31 having an opening. therein through which the rod-shaped upper portion 32 ofthe actuating member is slidable. A coil spring 32' surrounding the rod 32 normally. rests with its lower end on the 111g 31. The :upper end of the rod 32 is rigidly connected to a short, horizontally extending supportingv bar 33 Atripping member 34 has-its upper end pivotally connected, as at 35, tothe outer end of the bar 33. Said tripping member has an intermediate portion formed with a projection 36, the upper part of which is curved, as at 3'7, and the lower part of which is inclined, as at 38. The lower end of the tripping member 34 carries an eye 39 through which an adjustment bolt 40 is threaded, the inner end of said bolt being adapted to impinge against a side of the actuating member 23.

A valve operating lever 41 has its inner end pivotally connected, as at 42, to the upper portion of the bracket 2"], and said lever has its outer end of angular formation, as at 43, so that when the tripping member ,34 is moved upwardly from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 3, it willnot afiectthe lever 41, but that when said actuating member is moved downwardly it will engage the outer end 43 as shown in Fig. 4, and cause a downward pivoting of the lever 41. J

The lever 41 has its lower side formed with a rounded projection 44 which is movable in the outer end of the tubular part 28 and which is engageable with the outer end of a plunger 45. Said plunger extends through the tubular portions 28 and 30 and through a bore 46 in the flush valve housing. The plunger 45 is inwardly movable against the tension of a coil spring 46 positioned around the plunger and within the tubular portions 28 and 30. Water is supplied to the flush valve by a pipe 47, and said valve is arranged to control the flow of said water under pressure from said pipe to the inlet pipe 48 for in Figs. 1 and 2, that is, the front portion of the seat is held in a slightly raised position by the counter-weight 18, the flush valve is closed, and the projection 36 of the tripping member is below the outer end of the valve operating lever 41. When pressure is exerted on the seat 9, this will overcome the counter-weight l8 and will cause an upward pivoting of the rear portion of the lever 11. Through the connections with the actuatingmember 23, the latter will be slidably moved from the lowered position shown in Fig. 1 to the raised position shown in Fig. 3, the projection 36 of the tripping member slipping past the operating lever 41 without affecting the latter. When pressure is removed from the seat, the counterweight 18 will cause a downward pull on the actuating member 23 and this will result in a downward movement of the tripping member 34 and in engagement of the lower angular face 38 of the projection 36 with the upper angu lar face of the outer end of the valve operating lever 41, as shown in Fig. 4. This will-result in a downward pivoting of the lever 41, and through the rounded projection 44 on the latter an inward pressure will be exerted on the plunger 45 against the tension of the coil spring 46 to cause tilting of the rod 49. of the flush valve and opening'of. said valve. When the valve operating lever 41 has been pivoted downwardly to a certain point, the angular face 38 of the projection 36 will slide off of the outer end of said lever, and the parts will return to the position shown in Fig. 1,,the coil spring 32 serving to absorb any 'shock. The length of time during which the tripping member is in engagement with the valve operating lever may be controlled through the adtion, and this part is so constructed that any meddling with it cannot possibly cause injury to the operating parts on the other side of the partition.

It is further to be pointed out that the improved tripping mechanism provides for a positive and fool-proof engagement with the valve operating lever 41, and that this construction while not limited to use in connection with flush valves, is particularly well adapted for use in connection with this type of valve wherein-there is a horizontally slidable plunger such'as the plunger 46.

Although only one form of the invention has been shown and described, it is obvious that vari-, ous' modifications and changes may be made, and that all of such changes are contemplated as may come within the scope'of the claims.

'Whatliclaimisy 1. A flushing device for a water closet having a movable seat and having a valve for controlling the flow of water, comprising a pivotally mounted valve operating lever, a vertically slidable actuating member, a tripping member pivotally suspended from said actuating member, said tripping member being formed with means shaped to engage said valve operating lever for a prede-r termined length of time during downward movement of the tripping: member and actuating member, weighted means connected between said water closet seat and actuating member for causing slidable movement of the latter upon movement of the seat, and means for cushioning the downward movement of said actuating member caused by the weighted means.

2. A flushing device for a water closet having a movable seat and having avalve for controlling the flow of water, comprising a pivotally mounted valve operating lever,a vertically slidable actuating member, "a tripping member pivotally suspended from said actuating member, said tripping member being formed' with means shaped to engage said valve operating lever for a predetermined length of time during downward 'move- 'ment of the tripping member and actuating member, means connected between said water closet 7 seat and actuating member for causing slidable movement of the latter upon movement of the seat, and means carried by the tripping'member for adjusting the normal position of said tripping member to vary the length of time of engagement with the valve operating lever during downward movement of the tripping member. 3. Aflushing device for a water closet having a movable seat and having a valve for controlling the flow of water, comprising a pivotally mounted valve operating lever, a vertically slidable actuatin'g member, a tripping member pivotally suspended from said actuating member, said tripping member being formed with means shaped to engage said valveoperating lever for a predetermined length of time during downward movement of the tripping member "and actuating "member, means connected between said water closet seat and actuating 'member for causing slidable movement of-the latter upon movement inc valve, a union connection between said bracket and flush valve, a valve operating plunger horizontally slidable through said union connection, a lever pivoted to said bracket for movement in a vertical plane and having an enlarged portion engageable with said plunger, lever actuating means vertically slidably carried by said bracket, and means for moving said lever actuating means.

' GEORGE SCHWIBINGER. 

